One of the more interesting novels I came across recently was Fredrik Backman’s Anxious People. The story is a non-linear tale of a bank robbery that mistakenly became a hostage situation. The hostages are a colorful collection of individuals with a variety of quirks that showcase a wide range of issues that all humans seem to have.
As a wyrm, I’m not sure I understand the human preoccupation with anxiety. Humans seem to search out specific reasons to become anxious when no such reason truly exists. It is a fascinating tendency that I’ve yet to unravel. Bianca says “It’s just human nature,” and I am not sure that that is an acceptable reason. Why is it human nature? It is probably a good thing that she works with books and is not a scientist, doctor, or some other profession involved in the quest to understand why.
Backman does not always examine the reasons why human beings act as they do, but if nothing else, he is an astute observer of what human beings do. And his tale of people’s anxieties is interesting if only for that. To be perfectly frank, his charming descriptions gave me clearer insight into what it is to be human. Some of the passages were humorous and heartwarming as well. This, I believe, is a novel that all dragons who wish to better understand humans should read. A variety of humans should probably read it as well to better understand their fellows.
-XQZ the Bookwyrm